Delta Queens Last Breaths

Almost sounds as if she is crying as her calliope pipes out her last song and her whistle blows for the last time as she pulled into New Orleans on November 6, 2008.I filmed her arrival to New Orleans from the deck of the Mississippi Queen. As I listened to the cry of her whistle, I could not help but to remember that I had rebuilt the valve for that whistle earlier this year while I was sailing as junior engineer aboard her.

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• delta
• queen
• DQ

[augpeh]

omg

Y can I hear a police siren in the background?

[JammerJawz]

Well, it is New Orleans!

[titanic7grl]

Aw!! She is sailing past a cruise ship!!

[JammerJawz]

Yeah, that is the "Fantasy". I love your vids Titanic7grl!

[pianomanthree16]

Boy it's tough to watch this. Even Capt. Gabe didn't want to let go of that last chord. He holds it longer than I've ever heard him do before.

[musicianforjesus]

I have watched this video a few times but watching it tonight there is something sad coming over me. I think the description of the video and hearing the calliope and hearing the scream of her whistle as if shes crying "save me" as loud as she can.

[efrazier0217]

@jrcortz She is alive and well and living in Chattanooga TN. You should come down ans see her in person. She is still fully functional and is heard frequently by visitors and residents alike. You are able to spend the night on the grand lady and walk her decks and even see her mighty engines. She is stationary but still very much alive. Come see her.

[IncredibotsSteam3]

Listening to the main whistle blow made every hair on my body stand on end. That is one hell of a soulful whistle. Shame that it is not crying out anymore...

[jrcortz]

just think of her currently, shes taking a well deserved break! shes resting up for that next big inaugural voyage like her youngest sister american queen who is sailing in spring of 2012!!! thanks for posting this vid, really interested in this boat. please tell me everything mechanical about her jammer jaws. very interesed for my age as 15. i live up by wheeling,wva; stubenville ohio area.

[chipperwayne5]

So sad, the politically correct do gooders ae destroying our heritage and

our country.

[nicholasbreeden]

that, my friends, is a hell of a whistle.

[doughesson]

I always said that when I was on the rive ron a foggy morning & heard the Delta Queen's or Mississippi Queen's whistle w/o getting a chill up & down my spine,I was gonna quit the river.

Now both boats are gone & I'm not sure what I'll do.

[Dolphindream15]

@ACSBehemothHellcat yea its kind of hard to tell I know when I was in st louis I went on the huckleberry finn boat I know it had to be diesel because the paddle wheel was chained so it couldnt move but the boat still ran,,my brother was with me he went on the president,,that was another paddle wheeler but it too was diesel,,,sometimes you just have to look its still a fun ride though

[Dolphindream15]

@ACSBehemothHellcat but even if it is a river boat that looks like a steam powered boat its still grand to see its the historic vaule of what these river boats actually looked like,,is truly wonderfull like I said thre are very few that are oringal steam powered river boats today,,most of your modern ones are diesel ran,,but look like a river boat but thats ok too,,,there taking anything that looks like from something of the past and getting rid of it,,when will it stop

[Dolphindream15]

@ACSBehemothHellcat yea but i wonder if the MQ and the natchez and the  AQ,, are actual steam boats alot of these are made to look like steam boats but are diesel powered,,the more moderen ones usually are there are very few oringal steam boats left,,that truly run on steam power,,delta queen is one and the belle of louisvillie is another,,and I think Im not sure but I think the general jackson is a actual steam power river boat Im not to sure on that one,,

[97trainman]

is someone going to save the MQ's engine and whistle?